Boat steering device



y 5, 1966 c. A. FRESE ETAL 3,2

BOAT STEERING DEVICE Filed NOV. 15, 1965 IIIII4 INVENTORS lo i WILLIAMJ. GILMORE CLARENCE A. FRESE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,258,989BOAT STEERING DEVICE Clarence A. Frese, Hudson, and William J. Gilmore,Manitou Beach, Micln, a'ssignors to American Chain & Cable Company,Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Nov. 15, 1963,Ser. No. 324,031 2 Claims. (Cl. 74501) This invention relates to boatsteering devices of the type wherein a control cable flexible member iswound or unwound about a ring in a housing to push or pull, and therebyturn, the tiller or other steering means of a boat. More particularly,it is directed to improved bearing means in the housing of the steeringdevice for restraining the flexible member against outward displacementoff the ring.

It is a primary object of this invention to simplify and economize thedesign of otherwise satisfactory boat steering devices of the kindwherein the flexible member is held against outward displacement off itsactuating ring by an array of rollers spaced apart around the ring. Thisobject is achieved by substituting a particular curved bearing member ofplastic material for the array of rollers around the ring, withoutappreciably increasing the frictional drag on the flexible member duringoperation and yet with a notable reduction in the fabrication, assemblyand maintenance costs of the device.

Broadly stated, the improved bearing means is applicable to a boatsteering device wherein a flexible member is adapted to be wound andunwound on the circumference of a rotatable ring and to passtangentially with respect thereto through an opening in a housingsurrounding the ring. The new bearing means comprises a curved memberfixed within the housing about substantially all of the circumference ofthe ring except where the flexible element passes tangentially therefromthrough the housing. This curved member is of plastic material and ithas a smooth circular inner bearing surface opposed to the circumferenceon the ring and in slideable engagement with substantially the fulllength of the flexible member on the ring. As a result of thisconstruction, the flexible member slides easily over and is restrainedagainst outward displacement by the plastic bearing surface of thecurved member as the flexible member is wound and unwound by the ring.

Prior to the aforementioned use of roller arrays in this field, nosignificant attempt was made to contain the flexible member about thering by means which at the same time could reduce frictional drag duringoperation. Instead, the ring was enclosed in a close-fitting circularmetal housing Which could only achieve the desired restraint of theflexible member against radially outward displacement by frictionallyretarding its longitudinal movement to a great extent. Because of thehigh coefficient of friction between the flexible member and theadjoining housing, this drag effect was most severe when the flexiblemember transmitted a pushing force during unwinding, since it would thenbow outwardly and bind against the housing. The bearing means of thepresent invention solves this without resort to roller arrays byinterpo'sing between the flexible member and the housing a smoothself-lubricating containing member of plastic material, preferablyacetal resin.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described hereinbelow withreference to the accompanying drawing, wherein FIG. 1 is a plan view ofthe steering device partly broken away and with half the housing removedto expose the inner parts;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

3,258,989 Patented July 5, 1966 FIG. 3 is a perspective illustrating theuse of the steering device when installed on a boat; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective of the curved bearing means of the invention.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the device includes a housingconsisting of two matched housing plates 10 and 11. The housing plates10 and 11 may advantageously be of die cast zinc and they are of similarright and left hand construction so that the device can be installed tooperate a control cable extending to one side or the other. Each of thehousing plates 10 and 11 has an outer peripheral flange 12 and 13respectively which register when assembled to define a substantiallyfully enclosed space within the housing. The plates are held together byat at least three bolts 14, 15 and 16, which appear in section inFIG. 1. Aligned circular holes 18 and 19 are formed in the geometriccenter of the housing plates.

Fitted within the holes 18 and 19 in the housing plates 10 and 11 is asteel bushing 20 disposed coaxially with the center line of the housing.This bushing 20 rotatably supports an internal gear ring 21 of die castzinc, which includes a hub portion 22 held against axial displacement bythe housing plates 10 and 11. The internal gear ring 21 also includestwo asymmetrical spoke portions 23 and 24 as shown in FIG. 1 whichdefine an included angle of about These spoke portions support an outerannular portion 25 which is formed with gear teeth 26 on its innersurface substantially throughout the larger arc between the two spokeportions 23 and 24. For-med about the entire circumference of the ring21 is a central a-rcuate groove 28 of less than semi-circular shape. Thediameter of the ring 21 is such that its grooves 28 is spaced closelyadjacent the flanges 12 and 13 of the assembled housing plates lh and11.

Suitably journalled in aligned holes in the housing plates 10 and 11 isa drive shaft 30 which is offset from the center of the device as shownin FIG. 1. The shaft 39 has splined to it a pinion 31 which meshes withthe gear teeth 26 on the inside of the ring 21. As shown in FIG. 3, thedrive shaft 30 may be rotated by means of a manual steering wheel 32 toturn the ring 21 clockwise or counterclockwise. The limits of rotationof the ring 21 are established by the connecting bolts 15 and 16extending through the housing plates 10 and 11, clockwise movement ofthe ring 21 being limited by engagement of the spoke portion 23 with thebolt 16 and counterclockwise movement of the ring 21 being limited byengagement of the spoke portion 24 with the bolt 15.

Both of the housing plates 10 and 11 include corner portions 34, onlyone of which is shown in FIG. 1 since the housing plate 1!) is removedin that view. The third connecting bolt 14 extends between the housingplates 10 and 11 in the region of the corner portions 34 and it clampsthe corner portions about a cylindrical end fitting 35 of a push-pullcable 36. Though the corner portions 34 of the housing plates surroundthe circumference of the end fitting 35, they leave an opening throughwhich the end fitting 35 projects. The end fitting 35 is thereby heldsecurely in a position such that its central axis is substantiallytangential with the groove 28 formed in the circumference of the ring21.

There is included in the push-pull control cable 36 an outer casting 37and an inner flexible member 38 of circular cross section, perhapsdefined exteriorly by closed convolutions of a helical flat wire. Theend of the pushpull cable 36 remote from the steering device isassociated with the tiller or other steering device of the boat, so thata push or a pull transmitted by the reacting casing 37 and flexiblemember 38 turns the tiller or other device in the desired direction. Atthe steering device, the casing 37 terminates within the end fitting 35,but the flexible element 38 extends beyond the end fitting 35tangentially into the groove 28 formed in the ring 21. Depending uponthe position of the ring 21, the flexible member 38 wraps around it inthe groove 28 to a varying extent terminating in a radial hole 40 in theannular portion 21 of the ring where it is held fast, as shown inFIG. 1. The hole 40 should be located such that part of the flexiblemember 38 remains in the groove 28 when the ring 21 is rotated to itscounterclockwise limit and the flexible member is fully extended.

By the construction described above, rotation of the shaft 30 by meansof the steering wheel 32 turns the ring 21 and causes the flexiblemember 38 to wind or unwind about the ring in the groove 28. Uponclockwise rotation of the ring 21 as seen in FIG. 1, the flexible member33 is wound onto the groove 28 of the ring 21 and a pull is transmittedthrough the flexible member. Upon counterclockwise rotation of the ring21 .as seen in FIG. 1, the flexible member 38 is unwound from the groove28 of the ring 21 and a push is transmitted through the flexible member38. It is during this counterclockwise unwinding rotation of the ring 21that the flexible member 38 tends to displace radially outwardly fromthe groove 28 and to buckle or bind instead of transmitting the desiredpush. The primary object of this invention is to provide means forrestraining the flexible member 38 from such radially outwarddisplacement out of the groove 28 and to achieve such a restrainingeffect without frictionally retarding the longitudinal displacement ofthe flexible member 38 tangentially out of the steering device andthrough its casing 37.

T 0 this end a separate substantially C-shaped member 4-2 of plasticmaterial, shown in perspective in FIG. 4, is included in the assembledhousing plates 10 and 11. An acetal resin may be particularlyadvantageous for the member 42, such as that sold by E. I. du Pont deNemours & Co. under the trademark Delrin. This can be made very smoothwith a somewhat slippery surface and high strength to provide anexcellent self-lubricating bearing element. In certain instances, otherplastic materials such as nylon or polyethylene may prove equallysuitable.

The C-shaped member 42 is fixed within the flanges 12 and 13 of thehousing plates 10' and 11 concentrically about substantially all of thecircumference of the ring 21 except where the flexible element 38 passestangentially therefrom through the housing opening in the cornerportions 34, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The C-shaped member is formedwith a smooth inner bearing groove 43 of slightly more than circularcross section. The bearing groove 43 and the groove 28 in the ring 21are opposed to one another and together they define a space ofsubstantially the same uniform circular cross section as the flexiblemember 38. Thus, the bearing groove 43 is in slideable engagement withsubstantially the full length of the flexible member 38 wound in thegroove 28 about the ring 21.

As the ring 21 is rotated in a counterclockwise direction to unwind andtransmit a push through the flexible member 38, the flexible member 38slides easily in and is restrained against outward displacement by thesmooth self-lubricating bearing groove 43. Since the coeflicient offriction of the flexible member 38 in the bearing groove 43 is so veryminimal, there is virtually as little friciton drag on the flexiblemember 38 during unwinding as there is when rollers are provided aboutthe ring 21. Of course there is no comparison between the minor amountof frictional retardation caused by the C-shaped plastic member 42 andthat critically high friction which would exist if the member 42 werenot included and the flanges 12 and 13 or other metal parts of thehousing were relied upon to restrain the flexible member 38 againstoutward displacement. This being so, the incorporation of the newplastic bearing means in a rotary-type steering device constitutes amarked simplification over devices which employ an array of rollers andan enormous improvement in functional efficiency over those deviceswhich include no anti-friction bearing means at all.

We claim:

1. In a boat steering device wherein a ring is rotatable in a housing towind and unwind a flexible member into and out of a circumferentialgroove in the ring through an opening in the housing with outwarddisplacement of the flexible member resisted during unwinding by acurved plastic bearing member which the housing surrounds, said devicebeing improved in that (a) the plastic bearing member is rigidly abuttedalong substantially its entire outer curved surface by the surroundinghousing so that both the bearing member and the flexible member arefixed against outward displacement during unwinding, and

(b) the plastic bearing member is formed along its inner curved surfacewith a bearing groove opposed to the circumferential groove in the ringand defining therewith a space through which the flexible member passesof substantially the same cross section as the flexible member.

2. A boat steering device according to claim 1 wherein the cross sectionof the flexible member is circular and the plastic bearing member is ofacetal resin.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,767,596 10/1956Simon et al. 74-496 2,870,973 1/1959 Carlson 7495 X 3,096,128 7/1963Wight 30836.1 3,110,193 11/1963 Bratz 7450l 3,l35,l30 6/1964 Bentley74485 MILTON KAUFMAN, Primary Examiner. BROUGHTON G. DURHAM, Examiner.F. E. BAKER, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A BOAT STEERING DEVICE WHEREIN A RING IS ROTATABLE IN A HOUSING TOWIND AN UNWIND A FLEXIBLE MEMBER INTO AND OUT OF A CIRCUMFERENTIALGROOVE IN THE RING THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE HOUSING WITH OUTWARDDISPLACEMENT OF THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER RESISTED DURING UNWINDING BY ACURVED PLASTIC BEARING MEMBER WHICH THE HOUSING SURROUNDS, SAID DEVICEBEING IMPROVED IN THAT (A) THE PLASTIC BEARING IS RIGIDLY ABUTTED ALONGSUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE OUTER CURVED SURFACE BY THE SURROUNGING HOUSINGSO THAT BOTH THE BEARINGS MEMBER AND THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER ARE FIXEDAGAINST OUTWARD DISPLACEMENT DURING UNWINDING, AND (B) THE PLASTICBEARING MEMBER IS FORMED ALONG IS INNER CURVED SURFACE WITH A BEARINGGROOVE OPPOSED TO THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL GROOVE IN THE RING AND DEFININGTHEREWITH A SPACE THROUGH WHICH THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER PASSES OFSUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME CROSS SECTION AS THE FLEXIBLE MEMBER.